Flat panel displays using liquid crystal display (LCD) technology are widely known and have found application in a number of fields for displaying visual information. In many situations, flat panel LCDs have displaced cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays, due to decreased weight and size. In other applications, flat panel LCDs have been able to penetrate markets where CRT displays were never considered practicable. One such area is the vehicle instrument panel market, where the flat panel LCD provides excellent visual representation of information.
One particular field of use is electronic flight indicators. These flight indicators are used to inform the pilot and, if applicable, the copilot, of various information for flying the aircraft. Common electronic flight indicators are the horizontal situation indicator (HSI), the attitude direction indicator (ADI), the altimeter and the air speed indicator. The data these instruments present can be analog, digital or a combination of analog and digital. Vehicles, especially aircraft, can be exposed to extremes in temperature, but the instrumentation must be reliable and able to respond in a timely fashion.
A known concern with LCD technology has been its slow response in low temperature situations, especially those that may be encountered when the vehicle sits overnight in a cold environment. Slow instrument response is simply not an available option in a vehicle. Heaters have been placed within LCD panels but there is a need for an improved heater design for LCD panels.
Although this need has been initially described with reference to electronic flight indicator applications of flat panel LCDs, the need for a predeterminably selected heater element for a flat panel LCD extends to a variety of other applications, such as lap-top computer screens and flat panel LCDs that are exposed to low temperatures, such as in self-serve gasoline pump installations and in cold storage facilities. Exemplary embodiments may be applicable to these and other applications.